Decriminalize Marijuana In Kentucky

Kentucky’s harsh drug and criminal justice policies are too punitive and costly. It's time for Kentucky to follow in the footsteps of the 23 US states that have currently decriminalized marijuana.

The criminalization of marijuana has put too much of a strain on our judicial system for no good reason. State prisons were projected to run out of jail space this year. Approximately 16 arrests are made every day for marijuana related charges. In fact, there are more arrests for pot violations than there are arrests for violent crimes such as arson, homicide, and forcible sex offenses. Shifting the focus away from marijuana crimes would allow the state to free up jail space and allocate more time to solving serious crimes.

The criminalization of marijuana has also fueled the institutionalization of racism and economic inequality. Despite usage rates being relatively equal among races, there is clear racial inequality in pot arrests. African Americans are six times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than White Americans in Kentucky. The racial divide has actually increased 145.8% since 2001.

If you also believe it's time for reform, please join us in signing this petition. You can read more about why we believe marijuana should be decriminalized here.